5 italian places in Madison we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Madison | Italian across every city.
Madison's Italian dining splits between old-guard west-side rooms and newer downtown pasta kitchens. Lombardino's on University Avenue is the long-standing classic, while Cento near Capitol Square works a more contemporary Italian menu. Salvatore's Tomato Pies brings a distinctive square pan-pizza tradition to the downtown mix.
Cento ★ 4.6
capitol-square · 122 W Mifflin St, Madison, WI 53703
Cento on West Mifflin, the Food Fight group's downtown Italian under chef Michael Pruett, runs handmade pasta and wood-fired pizza in an open kitchen.
Lombardino's ★ 4.5
westside · 2500 University Ave, Madison, WI 53705
Lombardino's on University Avenue, the west-side Italian dining room reborn under Michael Banas in 2000, serves classics in a mural-painted room.
Salvatore's Tomato Pies ★ 4.4
capitol-square · 10 N Livingston St, Madison, WI 53703
Salvatore's Tomato Pies on North Livingston, the Madison branch of the Sun Prairie Trenton-style pizzeria, runs tomato pies with sauce on top of the cheese.
Salvatore's Tomato Pies ★ 4.8
capitol-square · 10 N Livingston St, Madison, WI 53703
Salvatore's Tomato Pies on North Livingston, the Madison branch of the Sun Prairie Trenton-style pizzeria, runs tomato pies with sauce on top of the cheese.
Lombardino's ★ 4.1
2500 University Ave, Madison, WI 53705
Lombardino's on University Avenue, the west-side Italian fine-dining room reborn under Michael Banas in 2000, runs hand-cut pasta and wood-fired veal.